USA TODAY International Edition
Beckham-Ramsey a marquee matchup
5 critical battles key to first week
Listen to two of the NFL’s most outstanding young talents and you might not even know they were facing off against each other Sunday.
Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. promised he had “learned his lesson” and wouldn’t lose his cool against another aggressive opponent. And after making headlines in the offseason with his slights against several quarterbacks, Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey has only downplayed the impending matchup, noting he won’t be in coverage against Beckham on every snap.
Make no mistake, though: This is the all-pro showdown that belongs on the Week 1 marquee.
With a recent five-year, $95 million extension in hand, Beckham will command the spotlight again after missing all but four games last year with a broken ankle. But his various flare-ups have at times detracted from a scintillating four years in which he has scored 38 touchdowns in 47 games. Though he has largely produced stellar results in his matchups against the league’s elite cornerbacks, he needs to maintain his composure to avoid the kind of meltdown he had when the Vikings’ Xavier Rhodes limited him to a career-low 23 yards on three catches in a 2016 clash.
Beckham might not be fed the ball against Ramsey and A.J. Bouye with the same regularity as he would facing another opponent, as last year’s No. 1ranked pass defense presents quite a challenge with a deep and formidable rush. New coach Pat Shurmur’s offense will have to work in a number of quicktrigger throws, and No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley could be in line for 20 or more touches.
Ramsey stirred the pot in August when he suggested to “GQ” that Beckham was largely responsible for Eli Manning’s success. The Giants quarterback responded by mockingly asking “who?” when pressed for his reaction. Now Ramsey and the Jaguars have a chance to assert their identity.
Here are four other matchups that will define Week 1 in the NFL.
Bears OLB Khalil Mack vs. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
The arrival of the two-time all-pro pass rusher has already emboldened the Bears, as defensive end Akiem Hicks said this week when asked about the Packers offensive line, “I know those five guys can’t block Khalil Mack.” While that boast would undoubtedly seem to be hyperbole — Mack had one sack in his lone meeting thus far against Rodgers in 2015 — Chicago’s defense could be coalescing into the kind of unit that can stand up to the two-time MVP.
Rodgers has a 15-4 record against the Bears, as well as a 42-9 touchdown-tointerception ratio. And while Chicago had a top-10 defense in 2017, Rodgers had no trouble shredding it for four touchdown passes in a 35-14 rout last September.
Mack’s snap count might be limited given that he has had just a week to learn the Bears scheme and missed all of training camp as he waged a holdout against the Raiders. But he still could disrupt Green Bay’s passing attack and create opportunities for others. Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga will get the first crack at Mack as he continues to work his way back from last year’s torn ACL, and backup Jason Spriggs has not been consistent.
Chargers DE Melvin Ingram vs. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
As they try to halt an eight-game losing streak to their AFC West rival, the Chargers will be without defensive end Joey Bosa (out with a foot injury) and defensive tackle Corey Liuget (suspended for four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances). But Los Angeles still has a proven threat who could throw Kansas City’s new starting quarterback off his mark.
In the teams’ first matchup last year, Ingram racked up three sacks as he repeatedly flustered Alex Smith. While the Chiefs can focus more of their game plan on him this time, the Chargers keep offenses off guard by moving Ingram around and using him on stunts. That means it’s ultimately up to Mahomes to have a keen awareness of where the Pro Bowl pass rusher is at all times.
If last year’s No. 10 overall pick can evade Ingram and extend plays, there could be downfield opportunities for deep threat Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and new signing Sammy Watkins. But Mahomes still has to learn to rein in his devil-may-care playing style. Perhaps the biggest advantage for the Chiefs last season in their two contests against the Chargers was a 7-0 turnover advantage.
Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski vs. Texans secondary
Tom Brady threw a season-high five touchdown passes in New England’s last-minute win over Houston in Week 3 of 2017, but the outlook for both teams has changed drastically since then. With Julian Edelman serving a fourgame suspension before making his return to the field, the Patriots have a thin receiving corps with few reliable options beyond Chris Hogan. The Texans, meanwhile, added cornerback Aaron Colvin and safety Tyrann Mathieu in the secondary while also having cornerback Kevin Johnson available this time.
Yet it’s the same challenge of defending Gronkowski that could haunt Houston again. The four-time all-pro had eight catches for 89 yards in last year’s matchup and could be in line for more targets given the limitations on the outside. The 5-9 Mathieu isn’t a natural fit to cover 6-6 Gronkowski, but his ball skills and coverage range might give Brady some pause in throwing his way.
If the Patriots’ downfield passing attack doesn’t click early, Brady might look to his running backs to get the offense flowing. Rex Burkhead, James White and rookie Sony Michel (questionable with a knee injury) are all dynamic pass catchers who would be a mismatch against Benardrick McKinney and the rest of the Texans linebackers. The quick passing attack could also help neutralize a pass rush that netted five sacks against Brady last season.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott vs. Panthers LB Luke Kuechly
In a season shortened by his sixgame suspension, Elliott finished with at least 25 touches in every game last year, save for Week 2’s blowout loss to the Broncos. Given the precarious state of the Cowboys’ receiving corps, that level of workload might only be the starting point for the third-year running back this season.
Elliott comes into the opener rested after being held out of preseason action. But there could be trouble up front, where center Travis Frederick is out as he deals with Guillain-Barre Syndrome and rookie Connor Williams makes his first start at left guard. Elliott will have to be prepared to face plenty of stacked boxes again, and he might have to pick up more work as a receiver to get openfield opportunities.
Kuechly is Carolina’s strongest counter to Elliott, as his lateral range and sure tackling can help limit the defense’s liability against big runs. Defensive tackles Kawann Short and Dontari Poe also can create a significant push up the middle.